CV-9 USS Essex, 1943 - 1:350

[Rob 1]

Probably ought to start a thread on this as it will be keeping me occupied for some time to come.

 

Following on from the USS San Francisco (1942), I'm now getting into the new project, which I wanted to represent that period when the US have just struggled through into 1943 and the first of the new batch of carriers has entered service, so I wanted to do Essex in around mid 1943 on her first active deployment, and to include the legends on board of the SBD, TBM and F6F.

 

The kit is of course the Trumpeter CV-9 Essex 1943, which isn't at all bad, and the Toms Modelworks photo-etch set which is basic but good value. One of the worst points is the flight deck being formed in three parts which need joining very carefully to hide the joint, and some of the armament looks a little basic, so I got the L'Arsenal 5"38 single mounts, and will need to get some 20mm Oerlikon mounts.

 

Another little fault is the elevators are moulded both up and down at the same time, which for anyone wanting to open the shutters to show some hanger interior, will just not do, so have spent some time researching and forming elevator pits, rams and basic guides to place them in the raised position, and will add a few other various hanger details as would be easily visible through the open shutters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2017 by Rob 1

[EJS]

I have this kit as well, but not built it yet. I've done several other kits of ESSEX and am currently working on a vintage 1/540 (box) scale Revell kit from 1958, in her angled deck configuration. Have a special spot in my heart for her, as I served on her in the engineering dept, 1961 - 1964.

I'll be following this build with great interest, as I find there is always something for me to learn. I do have lots of pics of her, from commissioning to pics of her being cut up for scrap. I have a piece of her flight deck wood which I mounted with a placard and have on my wall.

I hope your build goes well.

[Bangor Lad]

I'll be following this with interest.

Cheers

[Thom216]

Same here! I have a few /350 ships and it's always nice seeing someone put theirs together!

[Rob 1]

Thanks for these comments, I would add this won't be a fast build (as anyone who followed my previous build of the USS San Francisco may recall), but she will progress steadily.

 

Certainly interesting that you actually served aboard the real thing EJS, was you in the engine or boiler rooms or elsewhere on the ship? There's some good tour videos on You-Tube, one in particular on USS Hornet with great commentary from a guy who served in the engine spaces and knows all about everything down there.

 

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/ca/ca-38/SanFrancisco-350-rs/index.htm

Edited April 24, 2017 by Rob 1

[EJS]

1 hour ago, Rob 1 said:

Thanks for these comments, I would add this won't be a fast build (as anyone who followed my previous build of the USS San Francisco may recall), but she will progress steadily.

 

Certainly interesting that you actually served aboard the real thing EJS, was you in the engine or boiler rooms or elsewhere on the ship? There's some good tour videos on You-Tube, one in particular on USS Hornet with great commentary from a guy who served in the engine spaces and knows all about everything down there.

 

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/ca/ca-38/SanFrancisco-350-rs/index.htm

 

USS ESSEX CVS-9

I was a Machinist's mate, attached to B (Boiler) division. I worked in forward auxiliary Machinery room as an evaporator operator. We had two triple effect, low pressure evap units there that could produce about 4800 gallons of boiler water and fresh water for the crew. There was also a solo shell evap unit on the upper level of # 3 fireroom. It was usually only lit off when reserve water was below a certain point. It could make about 350 gallons per hour, not a lot, but every little bit helps when you need it.

Aboard ESSEX, all the guys assigned to the boiler rooms in B division were going to be BT's (Boiler Tenders) whether you liked it or not. Having been assigned to the evaps, I was permitted to strike for MM (Machinest's Mate), which I did. The forward (#1 and 2) and after (#3 and 4) firerooms berthed together in two separate spaces. The evap gang and the Oil Kings (oil and water lab guys) berthed together. So I worked in both forward Auxiliary Machinery room and #3 Fireroom. We were sometimes split out on special repair jobs and worked in other engineering spaces as well. I think I worked in all but the engine rooms, #4 fireroom, and the shaft alleys at some point. Pretty much anyone that made rate (third class or higher) had a pretty broad knowledge of the entire engineering plant layout and operation. I did stand smoke watch a couple times up on the island 02 level during flight operations. Pretty neat to watch.

I like going to Charleston South Carolina to the USS Yorktown (CVS-10) Museum. For me, It's just like going home.

I also served aboard the USS MADDOX, DD731, so I got a taste of Tin Can Sailor life too. A Petty Officer 2nd on a tin can is much more important than a PO2 on a carrier. The ESSEX was in the Atlantic fleet, mostly from the Med to Iceland. The Maddox was Pacific fleet, mostly off the coast of California or near Japan/Vietnam - much warmer climates.

[Rob 1]

Thanks for describing your assignments and activities above EJS, I always find this kind of thing interesting, particularly first hand accounts.

 

The build is progressing slow but steady behind the scenes, currently building up the island, and now drilling out and  opening up some doors, which can be seen to open up onto the flight deck in many photos, not least this famous one of Yorktown. The kit doesn't help though as the island sits on a raised profile lump (to help locate the assembled island structure), this needs partly cutting away to provide some internal deck at the right level.

 

Should progress enough to post some photos in the next few days.

 

 

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/F6F-3_Hellcats_aboard_USS_Yorktown_(CV-10)%2C_31_August_1943_(80-G-K-14833).jpg

 

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2017 by Rob 1

[Rob 1]

Have started to build up the main island structure, certainly a more interesting part of the build.

 

Most of the island parts have needed extra work, nearly every part that is glued to another part has needed the gaps filling, not big gaps but small visible joints all over where there shouldn't be, and the main island structure will need finally filling when fixed to the flight deck. Also needed a few alterations and additions to decks etc.

 

Still loads to do, lots of detail to add, hopefully will make good progress during this week.

 

 

 

[beefy66]

Looking very neat with the PE work Rob

 

Beefy

[EJS]

Very nice PE work. I finally opened the box on my kit. Trying to figure out how to assemble the 3 pc flight deck without messing up the detail.

 

I looked through my 700 or so pictures of ESSEX and was not able to find even one of the island that showed the doors at the flight deck level. Did find a few of the upper portion showing antennas and radars. I did find the same picture that you posted of Yorktown though, mislabeled as ESSEX. The telltale sign was the marking on the plane's tail, definitely Yorktown.

 

[Rob 1]

Thanks Gents.

 

The Navsource site is an excellent (and accurate) source for ship photos, probably the best available, with a fair few of CV-9 Essex.

http://www.navsource.org/

 

Joining the three deck parts was a real pain. I found that the interlocking tabs kept it firm but it wouldn’t align the joining parts level or close up tightly, so opted to cut off the single mid tab on its side of the joint and just use the two tabs on the other side of the joint. This made the join less strong, but when glued it is plenty strong enough, but it did allow the deck edges to come together nice and level and tight together. The edges are very straight but there was still a tiny gap when dry joined, so fine sanded the high points to get an even tighter join. The remaining minute gap was filled, but I’d recommend using white (PVA) glue applied by fine brush rather than filler, as even the finest filling material spills onto the deck and can damage the very finely molded deck planks and steel tie-down strips.

 

Also with the deck, getting the two raised elevators level and with an even gap all around needed a bit of extra work with a sheet strip under each, and I scored a deeper gap around the bomb and torpedo elevators to increase the visible gap and make those elevator platforms look more like a separate part.

 

Incidentally, are you planning to do yours pre-1944 refit with SBDs, or after with SB2C Helldivers?

[EJS]

Thanks for the advice on the flight deck assy. The last thing I want to do is muck up the most visible part of the build. The plan is to build her as she departed Pearl Harbor for Marcus Island, August 1943. 36 Grumman F6F Hellcats - VF-9, 36 Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers - VB-9, and 18 Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers - VT-9. Just doing the full deckload is a lot of work. On one build, I placed all the 5 point wing stars upside down, pointing the wrong way - all 180 of them. Geesh. I left em that way. You could only see the ones on the top of the wing anyway. 

 

The Trumpeter kits look pretty good, although, When I did the 1/700 Yorktown, there were some real fit issues. The hull was crooked, causing the flight deck to fit up with a huge arch and twist in the middle. Had to grind the hull sides down in the middle and fill in the hull sides on both ends to get it flat. That of course, caused more issues. Finally finished it up "out of the box", just to get it off the bench. To non modelers, it looks great. The Hasegawa 1/700 ESSEX kit on the other hand, fit up pretty well. There were lots of errors though, in sponson placement, gun placement, you name it. There was no hangar deck, so that was scratch built, hangar bay doors opened up randomly (like I remember it), HB lighting installed with grain of wheat bulbs (primitive by todays standards), but it was a fun build. Did stuff to it, just to see if I could do it.

Watching your build with great interest. Thanks for posting the build.

[Rob 1]

I’ve been puzzling over various photos to finalise the mast and radar fit, which changed at certain intervals. Anyway, to cut a long story short, someone (called Michael Smith) has already done their homework on this, so I would share his website entry as below. I would add that his findings seem to tie up with what I have found on the various photos that are publicly available from different points in time. I was also pleased as my Tom's Modelworks photo-etch set includes parts for this full August '43 fit.

 

http://mcsmith.blogs.com/general/2016/05/uss-essex-cv-9-model-island-modifications.html

 

Hope this may be of help EJS, and any other USS Essex builders from her earlier days in service (up to late 1943 before the 1944 refit).

Edited May 11, 2017 by Rob 1

[EJS]

Thanks for the link. Got that one bookmarked for sure. Good stuff there.

Edited May 11, 2017 by EJS

[Rob 1]

Slowly building up some of the detail on the island structure, some of it part of the kit but there's a fair amount of additional parts to add.

 

Should be moving on to masts soon, then the radar fit.

 

[Rob 1]

I've been adding more detail - every time I think I'm making progress and finish a portion, I look at the various reference photos and find there is more to add, more railings, extra ladders etc etc - it seems endless!  

 

I suppose one has to reach a point where there's enough added detail - this is just the island so far, haven't got started on detailing the walkways and galleries on the hull and flight deck yet.

Edited May 20, 2017 by Rob 1

[Rob 1]

A couple more photos . . .

 

 

 

First mistake noticed - slightly frustrating as I have to go back and correct it - the smoke pipe on the starboard side of the island and funnel was nicely copied from a good photo of Intrepid and seen on others of the class - only to find a drawing and photos of the pipe on Essex after completing this part, which was different, (sloped in the lower portion then vertical at the upper end, with a different top part). I'll be correcting this little error this evening. 

[Kris B]

Hi Rob, good job with brass. Can't wait for painting. 

[Michael M]

Not that I'm US NAVY expert but shouldn't decks be in kind of dark blue-ish colour? And if they should, how are you going to mask them off with all the railings on?

[BerndM]

Looks great with all added details.

[Rob 1]

Thanks chaps.

 

For painting, there are various techniques people use, often discussed on various forums. I tend to go for building up sub-assemblies as complete as possible but while still able to access everywhere, to reduce having to touch up any filling and joining etc to a bare minimum. I tend to paint all the horizontal deck surfaces first, which as you rightly say is to be '20-B Deck-Blue'. There are one or two techniques for painting the vertical surfaces (which will be 5-N Navy Blue) after doing the decks, I use a form of 'dynamic' masking combined with very low pressure on the airbrush and careful direction of spraying, then touch up any edges and details that need it by fine brush painting.

[Michael M]

brush.... yuck, that's heretic tool that I avoid altogether if possible  

[EJS]

I usually airbrush the boot top, mask over it with vinyl masking cut to the boot width, then the anti-fouling red, then mask over both, then the balance of the hull. Then the main decks, the hangar deck (deck first then mask, then the bulkheads) before setting the flight deck (spray top side and underside). The Island, well, I usually just spray the whole thing 5-N, then brush paint the decks and walkways. There is always a bunch of touch up, glue lines, guns that got hit with deck blue, decks and walkways on the island, all around the PE railings, and even though I spray the PE on the fret, there is touch up on them and the ladders, radars and such as well. It's just part of the game. For brushing, I use quite a bit of Vallejo Model paints. Seems to level out very nicely leaving little or no brush marks. I've not used Vallejo Air yet. Any of you guys used it? For spraying, MM acrylic, MM enamels, lots of white ensign ( I bought a bunch of that in military ship colors before things went flooey there and the price here in the US went up to $5.50 a pot), and Tamiya. Mind you, I build aircraft carriers mostly, some smaller military vessels, and small 1/12 - 1/24 scale wood boats, sailboats, skiffs, and stuff. I did do a tank once with my grandson. He likes aircraft and occasionally I'll help him with a problem. I gave him a 1/350 Trumpeter CV-2 USS Lexington kit to do. Thought maybe he might get into ships. He seems to like unusual armor stuff though.  

[robgizlu]

Some really clean etch work and all round excellent modelling going on here.  I don't know much about US navy ships but I'm following this with interest

 

Rob

[Rob 1]

Thanks for your comments Gents.

 

I generally use LifeColor acrylic paints, from their specific US Navy colour range, generally lightened down for a better distance effect. I also always prime first (Halfords spray cans), and always get a good surface finish over the primer, including for any brush touch up that is needed.

 

I built the main tripod mast up yesterday, all went together well but there is so much missing that the kit doesn't provide which needs scratch making, including the little triangular platforms that sit between the legs at two levels, and the huge yardarm, as well as a smaller signal yardarm. The Toms Modelworks p.e. parts that sit between the tripod mast poles doesn't fit so that railing needs adding separately. All part of the fun

Edited May 29, 2017 by Rob 1